This is actually the first fanfiction I have ever written, and surprisingly, I think it's one of my best. At least in terms of characterization.

Chapter One: The Frustration of Kyon

"All right, everyone! It's time for another SOS Brigade field trip!"

Ugh.

Haruhi began our meeting today with this outlandish remark. It was very frustrating, considering we finished our last "field trip" just three days ago. I put heavy emphasis on the quotations around field trip in that last sentence because I'm pretty positive that going to the park in Nagato's neighborhood to look for evidence of an alien sighting shouldn't be described using those words. I'm just saying.

"Um, S-Suzumiya, may I ask where it is we're going?" Asahina raised her hand and asked in a quiet but cute voice.

"Good question, Mikuru!" Haruhi pointed to her. "We are going to Akihabara to search for a mysterious doujinshi!"

…What? What the hell did she just say?

"W-what?" Asahina expressed her confusion with the look on her face. "Doujinshi?"

"Not just regular doujinshi, Mikuru! Mysterious doujinshi!" Haruhi beamed.

I don't think that's what Asahina meant, Haruhi. I think she was questioning herself to make sure she heard you right.

Haruhi continued. "Unnamed sources have reported that a doujinshi was released in Akihabara with a strange language in it! The thing was no one recognized the language so nobody bothered to buy it. But even weirder was that the doujinshi was only on the shelves for three hours!"

Who in the hell are these "unnamed sources" that supposedly told you this? Figments of your imagination?

"Suzumiya, did anyone recognize the doujinshi?" Koizumi asked. Please don't tell me he actually believes this B.S.

"The manga was from Kyuketsuki Daisuki, but nobody recognized the doujinshi itself," Haruhi said.

"Hmm…" Koizumi looked like he was in deep thought. I doubt he was, though.

"So we all know what our goal for this field trip is, right? The search for the mysterious doujinshi!" Haruhi through her fist into the air and announced.

…I don't think I need to express how I feel about this "field trip". Oh, maybe I should drop the quotations since we're actually going somewhere this time. Still doesn't mean it's going to be fun.

"Okay! So meet at the station at ten tomorrow, got it?" Haruhi exclaimed.

Sigh…I'm definitely not going because I want to. I mean, a mysterious doujinshi? Are you kidding me? I just hope Haruhi gives up on this quickly and doesn't get any other crazy ideas.

…But this is Haruhi we're talking about.

I arrived an hour early.

"You're late!" Haruhi shouted.

Damn. Don't say ten o'clock if everyone's gonna show up before nine. I only did because I didn't want to be last…but I was anyway.

"Dammit, Kyon! You're always lagging! Sheesh!"

Dammit, Haruhi. You're so annoying.

"Anyway, let's get going! To Akihabara!"

Whatever.

About twenty minutes later, we arrived in Akihabara. Or should I say Otaku Land. Geez.

"All right, we're gonna split up," Haruhi announced. "Um, Yuki and Mikuru, you guys will hit the stores over there," she pointed to her left. "Koizumi and Kyon, you guys go that way," she then pointed to her right. "I'm gonna go over here," she waved her hand behind her. "I want everyone to meet back here," she stomped her foot on the ground, "at one for lunch."

That means meet here at twelve, right?

"So call me if you find anything. Move out!" Haruhi directed. She turned around and walked off. Nagato and Asahina headed off toward the direction they were told to go.

"Shall we go?"

And I'm stuck with Koizumi.

"I have to ask, don't tell me you seriously intend on looking for this…doujinshi, right?" I remarked.

"Hmm, not particularly, nothing the doujinshi was probably just an odd misprint. Once the publishers realized the mistake, they pulled it off the shelf."

You mean this doujinshi was real?

"I highly doubt we're going to find it."

"Ugh, another wasted day…" I sighed.

"Maybe not. How about we make it fun?"

Wow, Koizumi, that didn't sound creepy at all.

"I mean, we are in Akihabara. I'm sure we can find something to do to kill time."

Hmph, I wish I could just walk away from him and go home, but I don't really have anything else to do so I guess I can put up with him for a few hours.

So we just wandered around, walking through a few manga stores and somehow got dragged into a maid café by one of the maids standing outside. Man, she was hot, too. I guess I couldn't help myself.

Koizumi and I returned to the meeting spot a half hour early. Surprisingly, neither Haruhi nor Nagato and Asahina were there. Ugh, more time spent alone with Koizumi.

We stood there quiet for a good ten minutes when suddenly Koizumi gasped. I glanced at him, and he had the most horrified look on his face.

"Whoa! Koizumi?"

He didn't respond.

"Hey, what's wrong? Is it a closed space or something?"

He turned to meet my eyes. God, you'd think he just got shot.

"N-no…" he stuttered. "Kyon…"

"Hey!" Asahina shouted. I turned to see her waving at me with Nagato walking behind her.

"Um…" I spun back around to figure out what was going on with Koizumi. "Are you okay?"

He squinted his eyes like he was cringing in pain. "I-I'm fine..."

You definitely don't look it.

"I-it's okay, Kyon. Thanks for your concern," he put on a smile, but it looked forced.

"Huh? Is Koizumi okay?" Asahina asked.

"Um, I guess…" I didn't understand what was going on.

"Haruhi," Nagato spoke.

"What?" I looked around and sure enough, Haruhi was walking up to us with a bag on her arm.

"Oh, I'm late? Sorry, guys."

Was that an apology?

"I didn't find the doujinshi we were looking for, but I saw some other doujinshi to read. So I bought 'em."

…You seriously bought doujinshi? Don't tell me you brought all of us out here on a search for some "mysterious" doujinshi that we obviously weren't gonna find just so you could run off to buy doujinshi for yourself? Really?

"Let's grab something to eat. I'm hungry," Haruhi said.

Sigh…

How is it that Koizumi ended up sitting next to me? It was almost like he made it a point to sit next to me, the way he darted past the girls when we entered the restaurant.

And what was weirder was that Nagato, who was sitting across from me, wouldn't stop staring at Koizumi. She wouldn't do that unless she had a reason to. Was there something I was missing?

After we orders our drinks, Haruhi began talking to Asahina about some gothic-lolita dress she saw that Asahina would be perfect in. As much as I would like to see that, I actually wasn't paying much attention to that conversation. Nagato was still staring at Koizumi, and Koizumi…was fidgeting with his fingers. He then kept glancing at me, then turning away. Okay, Koizumi, it's really obvious you keep looking at me, now will you please tell me what the hell is going on with you?

Then, when I wasn't paying attention, it happened. I placed my hand on the seat Koizumi and I were sitting on, and then Koizumi slapped his hand on top of mine!

"Eh?" my gasping sorta slipped out of my mouth. I turned to Koizumi. He looked…embarrassed, but he wasn't looking at me. Huh? "W-what the-?"

"Hey," Nagato interrupted.

I glanced at the alien girl sitting across from me. She had her index finger over lips.

Was that her telling me not to say anything?

"I…I apologize…" Koizumi whispered. Wait, if he's sorry for it then why is he doing it? And why is Nagato telling me not to say anything about it?

What the hell?

"So what kind of doujinshi did you get?" I heard Asahina ask Haruhi. Luckily the two of them didn't notice anything.

"Oh, I just spotted this series that I heard was popular about a normal boy affected by strange phenomena…"

Haruhi does know that doujinshi is fanmade, right? Wait, a normal boy affected be strange phenomena…

Why the hell is Koizumi still holding my hand? I glared at him and realized he was smiling…embarrassingly.

Something definitely was not right. But as much as I could have swiped my hand away from his…I didn't. Well, there has to be a reason he's doing it, right? I mean, if Nagato noticed, then something has to be up. But, does he seriously have to hold my hand? Ugh, this could not get any weirder.

Right? I hope not. Haruhi couldn't have already made my life weird enough…

So after that odd ordeal, Haruhi dismissed us. She said she was going to continue searching, but that we could go home. Yay.

Koizumi, Asahina, Nagato, and I were waiting at the station for the train. I decided to pull Nagato aside to ask her some questions. Y'know, if she felt like saying more than two words for once.

"Nagato! Could you explain to me what's up? Why is Koizumi acting the way he is?" 'Cause it's not normal. As if anything could really be described as normal in my life.

"Those questions may be better answered by Itsuki Koizumi."

"What? But I'm asking you!"

"I myself am not able to answer those questions, for they haven't registered as abnormalities yet. Until then, Itsuki Koizumi is the only one who may be able to answer those questions logically."

"So you do realize that something is wrong with Koizumi?"

"In terms of meaning, 'wrong' doesn't necessarily mean that any change in Itsuki Koizumi's personality is bad or abnormal."

Whatever was going on it was weird, I'll tell you that.

"Okay, then why did you tell me to be quiet and not say anything?" I asked, hoping she could at least answer this question.

"If you were to exclaim Itsuki Koizumi's actions, Haruhi Suzumiya would have reacted with potential negative results."

What? So Koizumi did that knowing that Haruhi might have gotten upset if I said something? That doesn't make any sense; why would he do that?

As I pondered this, the train arrived at the station. Neither I nor Nagato said anything else. Ugh, I guess I have to ask Koizumi about what his deal is.

When the train reached our station, Asahina and Nagato said their goodbyes (well, Asahina did; Nagato just stared at me) and walked off. I told Koizumi I needed to talk to him and we headed off toward my house.

"So, would you like to explain what you were doing earlier?" I began the interrogation.

"Hmm? Which part?" Koizumi acted like he had no idea what I was talking about.

"What do you mean 'which part'? The weird hand-holding crap you pulled!"

"Oh. That," Koizumi brought his hand up to eye-level view and stared at it. "I don't know."

"What? How do you not know? You did it!"

"People do things all time that they cannot explain. For me, that was one such instance."

What's with all these bullcrap answers today?

"I did apologize, didn't I?"

"But you were still holding my hand when you did."

Koizumi smiled in the way that annoyed the hell outta me. I was already pissed off enough, would you like to push it?

"That seriously makes me think you did it on purpose."

"You never took your hand away, though."

I blushed. "W-what? I didn't know what to do! Nagato told me not to say anything, so I didn't! Argh, that's not important!" I threw my fingers in my hair, almost wanting to pull it out. That wouldn't help anything, though, and then I'd have a bald spot.

"Okay."

Okay? That was all he had to say? Dammit, I want to pull his hair out.

"Look…" Koizumi dropped the smile and got serious, "I shall apologize in advance."

"Huh?" his sudden seriousness surprised me. "Apologize in advance?"

"With the stuff we get ourselves involved with, you never know," Koizumi turned around. "I'll see you later, Kyon." And with that, he walked off.

"Ugh…" I grunted. Nothing he said made any sense to me. Nothing he did made any sense to me. Today was definitely ranked in my Top Ten list of my strangest days.

Wait…did I blush earlier when he commented on the face that I didn't pull my hand away from his?

Gah, Koizumi! That bastard!